Green Technology Solutions, Inc., together with its 3D printing partner, 6th Dimension Technologies, today announced it is seeking a suitable manufacturer for its 3D printed, child-proof cannabis containers.

American attitudes toward cannabis have changed a lot in forty years. In the early 1970s, Richard Nixon initiated the divisive “War on Drugs”, incarcerating substance users on an unprecedented scale. Today, the legal landscape has changed. Numerous objective studies have demonstrated the relative harmlessness of cannabis, as well as its positive medicinal properties. The psychoactive drug is now legal in the states of Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, and is used both medicinally and recreationally.

With weed becoming legal in these parts of the country, people from all walks of life are beginning to use the drug. Although many see this new liberal attitude as simple common sense, the appearance of cannabis in drugstores and supermarkets has caused a problem: Many cannabis customers are parents with small children, and these small children—especially the curious ones—can occasionally get their hands on the drug. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that weed + kids = bad news, so California-based Green Technology Solutions (GTSO) set about creating a product which could provide a solution to this problem.

In late 2015, GTSO began developing this new product, designed specifically to keep weed out of the hands of children. After partnering with 6th Dimension Technologies, a Texas-based 3D printing company, the cannabis product developer designed a range of prototype, 3D printed, child-proof cannabis containers, easy for adults to open but impenetrable for small hands. Although parents are ultimately responsible for the safety of their children, GTSO thought that a helping hand in the form of a locking 3D printed box could prove invaluable.

“We’re working to engineer a rigid container that can be easily opened by an adult but remains inaccessible to small children,” said GTSO CEO Wallace W. Browne back in December. “We’re exploring a wide variety of potential production methods, including additive manufacturing, injection molding and milling. The prototypes that receive the best feedback from our focus groups will be patented.”

Two months later, and it seems that GTSO and 6th Dimension Technologies are ready to take their 3D printed weed box to production, as GTSO today announced that it is seeking a manufacturer to join the project. Initial testing has been positive, and the companies have designed containers suitable for key-chains, bookshelves, “or anything in between”.

“As we reach out to manufacturers, we are working to find one who can produce these containers using a suitably flexible, synthetic material while remaining cost-effective,” said Browne in today’s announcement. “Our plan is to mass-produce a cannabis container that is easy to open for adults and impossible for children, while remaining both air- and water-tight to prevent contamination.”

Whatever one’s stance on the legality of cannabis, all will agree that the drug should be kept away from children. If GTSO’s 3D printed containers can help to accomplish that task, let’s hope they find a manufacturer sooner rather than later.